Lenín Moreno wins elections in Ecuador, but has to go in run-off

With 88.5% of the votes counted, Lenin Moreno, of the governing PAIS Alliance, had a ten point lead over his closest political rival, ex banker Guillermo Lasso, but one point short of the 40% needed to win in the first round of Ecuador''s Sunday presidential elections. The National Electoral Commission reported that Moreno was leading the vote count 39,11% by 28,31% Lasso, leader of the right wing Creating Opportunities Movement, while Cynthia Vireti, of the Social Christian Party, comes third with 16,32%.

According to the Electoral Law, for a hopeful to win in the first round he must get 50% of the vote, or a minimum of 40% with a ten point lead on top of the runner-up.

The NEC's President said that the official report with the final results of the elections would be issued this Monday by mid-day.

This has created great expectancy among Ecuadorians eager to know the official results after the electoral count reaches 100%, to see whether Vice President Moreno is the winner in the first round or there'll be a run-off with Lasso, scheduled for April 2.

Outgoing President and leader of PAIS Alliance Rafael Correa saluted Moreno through his Twitter account just before midnight. »We already have a lead of more than 10 points over Lasso, and keeps augmenting. We have 38,8%, and there's 20% of the votes still to come in including much from Manabí (province) and the immigrants, where we swept. We Will Overcome!« Correa wrote at 23:00 on Sunday.

Moreno, who has been Ecuador's Vice President since 2007 when Correa came to power, was proposed by outgoing the President as his political successor to continue pushing ahead the Citizens' Revolution, the social, economic and political program Correa has led for the past 10 years.

More than 12 million Ecuadorians turned out to vote this Sunday to choose their new President, Vice President, all of the 137 members of the National Assembly and five deputies to the Andean Parliament.

A referendum was also in the ballots whether to prohibit public servants or candidates to have accounts or enterprises in fiscal paradises. By midnight, the Yes was leading the No.